2.13.2016

The Winter Grill

One of the nicest things about living
in the desert is that we can grill with ease all year long.

Not to say that people in the frozen north don't grill all year
long; it's just not easy.

First, you have to shovel the path to the grill. Then you have to
shovel off the grill. Then you light the fire, and go back inside to get warm.
Oh... wait. You then still need to go back out into the cold to grill the food.

Boots on. Boots off. Sweaters. Scarves. Gloves. Coats. Hats.

It's not so bad here, and we know it. We are fortunate.

Today's pasta dish is one we came up with in Maine when our friends
Xanthi and Dan came to dinner one night.

Though we didn't have an outdoor grill then, we did have a grill in
the kitchen fireplace, on which we often cooked in the winter. (Much better
than shoveling, etc.)

It was a cold and snowy evening, and we decided to eat in the
kitchen by the fireside. And, while we were there, why not cook on the fire?

I tossed scallops, shrimp, whole cherry tomatoes, and some
roughly chopped shallots with sambal oelek, olive oil, lemon juice, Mexican
oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. I let it marinate until the fire was just
right, and the pasta was almost cooked.

Grilled in a seafood basked over the wood fire, I don't think I had
tasted anything as wonderful as this in years. We tossed the grilled seafood
and tomatoes with the pasta, added a wee bit of the pasta water, and dinner was
ready.

The warmth of the fire combined with good food and the best of
friends really took the chill of a cold and snowy winter's eve.

~ David

Orzo with Grilled Scallops and Shrimp

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 pound sea scallops, quartered if large

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

3 large shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

juice of a lemon

2 teaspoons sambal oelek, or other chile sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt & pepper, to taste

12 ounces orzo pasta

springs of fresh oregano, optional

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Prepare your grill; whether you have a charcoal grill or gas
grill, you want a very hot fire. Place a seafood basket over the coals/on the
grill.

Salt the boiling water well and add the orzo. Cook for about 12
minutes.

Toss the shrimp, scallops, tomatoes, and shallots with the olive
oil, lemon juice, sambal oelek, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and
freshly ground black pepper. Let marinate while the pasta is cooking.

When pasta has 3-4 minutes to go, toss the seafood mixture into
the preheated seafood basket and grill, stirring frequently, over the highest
heat for 3-4 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water, and toss
the pasta with the grilled seafood. Add the pasta water and a thread of olive
oil. Toss again, and serve with springs of fresh oregano.

39 comments:

Growing up, fish and chips was the seafood I ate most. My family in Italy lived more inland so there wasn't much seafood in my mother's family either, but recently I've been venturing and enjoying seafood more and more (in fact, I had pasta with clams last night.) I know this recipe is something I'd really love. Now I'm hungry for more seafood!!

I love everything about this, David. Scallops and prawns are two of my favourite seafoods. Especially when they're grilled. I don't think I've seen multicoloured orzo before, as well, and you've reminded me I still have a bag of scallops in the freezer.

I can't stop staring at your second-last photo. Not only is it gorgeous, but I swear I can smell everything in that bowl!

I cooked with Mexican oregano today, actually, as I made a salsa rioja to go with the huarache I spent all morning making from scratch. I wish my local spice guy would import the oregano with all the other Mexican things he gets into his store, otherwise I wouldn't have to ration as much as I have been! I may have to have a word with him!

They are two of my favorites, too, John. I can't get enough of them! The multicolored orzo came from our farmers market - wish it tasted different from the plan orzo! That photo is probably one of my favorites, too. Thanks for the snaps.

I will write to you via email, but if you are running low on Mexican oregano, I know a source... :)

David, I wanted to email you but couldn't find an email address. When you left a comment on my blog (thank you!) I clicked on the Cocoa and Lavender link and it did not go to your blog! It went to your Blogger profile which didn't have a link to your blog. I wanted my readers to be able to visit your wonderful site, so I put your URL in my reply. Thought you'd want to know about this so you can fix it. Wishing you all the best, Jean

Jean - thank you so much for telling me that. One thing that never occurred to me is that because we have two Google profiles (Cocoa & Lavender and Cocoa & Beans - long story), there was never any profile on Cocoa & Lavender. There is now, thanks to you. Thanks - and congrats again on six years!

A wonderful dish, David. Grilling does so much to improve the flavor of an ingredient, especially seafood. Combining them like you did sounds fantastic. I am one of those people who grill year-round, though I never have to shovel a path. My grill is right outside my kitchen door on the back porch. Granted, the only thing my experience has in common with yours is the fire, it is still far better than that of most of my neighbors. Now, if only I could remember where I put that seafood basket ...

Yea, we do traipse out to the grill in the winter although we have not ever ventured out in these temperatures (sub-zero, not counting wind chill!). This easy, delicious-sounding recipe could propell Towny out there though!

It proelled Towny to consider venturing outside but in the end, he turned on the broiler and we made this dish...I know it would be even better with grilled scallops and shrimp but it was excellent from the broiler!

I want some of this! Though I must tell you that, unless it is brutally cold, the coat does not always go on for a quick run out to the grill (over 40 maybe not even the shoes).

But even more than easy grill access, you are blessed all of those fresh herbs. We have only what we paid outrageous prices for at the grocery or tiny snippets of things we've coaxed into living in a sunny window. Ah, spring will come...

We were the same in Maine, Inger! Tough Yankees! Now, not so much! Yes, the fresh herbs are such a gift all year round. But spring is around the corner, and your herbs will be showing life before you know it!